Pet Care – Professional Pet Sitting Service

Are Grain-Free Pet Foods Really Healthier?

September 5, 2017August 30, 2017petwatch916Leave a Comment

We do the best we can to keep our pets happy and healthy so they can live as long of life as possible. One way to achieve that goal is to feed our pets the best food we can, and meet their nutritional needs for optimum health.

When it comes to shopping for pet food there are so many products on the market to choose from that it can be overwhelming at times. Good luck with reading the ingredient labels too!

The pet food industry has given corn and soy a bad reputation. Some people consider corn and soy as “fillers,” meaning they zero nutritional value.

The Washington Post recently published a great article to find out if grain-free pet foods are healthier. I think you will find their research interesting just as I did. Enjoy!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2017/08/15/grain-free-pet-foods-are-no-healthier-vets-say-focus-on-this-nutrition-issue-instead

P.S. Our friends from Reviews.com also conducted research on the Best Dog Food of 2017: http://www.reviews.com/dog-food

Hurricane Harvey Donations

August 31, 2017August 31, 2017petwatch916Leave a Comment

If you have been watching the news lately, you might have seen the devastation that Hurricane Harvey has caused in Texas and parts of Louisiana. Every day the news media shares new photos and information on the lives that have been affected by this natural disaster.

It is amazing how many people would not leave their homes without their pets. Some people did not have the luxury of taking their pets for many reasons, and they called upon any help to return to their residences to save their pets.

One of the rescue groups that has helped so many pets was the Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) pet rescue group. APA! immediately jumped into action by opening their doors to incoming stray and lost pets, and provided rescue mission efforts by going in small boats to flooded residential areas to save stranded and missing pets.

We supported a fellow animal rescuer in making a donation to her fundraising campaign for the APA! rescue group, which is also a 501c3 nonprofit organization so donations are tax deductible.

We would like to ask for your support in making a donation to the campaign as well. You don’t need to send a $25,000 donation like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson! No amount is ever too small and every $1 helps. If you can’t donate, then would you please share this fundraising campaign? The Texas pets thank you!

Click here to make a donation: https://www.facebook.com/donate/336404263473115/

Employer-sponsored pet insurance?

June 12, 2017petwatch916Leave a Comment

Pet Care by PetWatch 916 According to the New York Times it appears more employers are slowly starting to offer pet health insurance for their employees. It sounds like a great idea except there are a few things to consider before signing up. https ://nyti.ms/2rSZ6Lq

If you go to your veterinarian office, they may offer their own internal Wellness Plan, which is for preventative care only. Most of those plans include annual shots, dental cleanings and x-rays, and they may offer a small discount for visits for sickness or injury.

Unfortunately for the pet parents of seniors, such as myself with my 15-year old Chihuahua; I had to ask if that type of plan would be beneficial for us. Recently Mia had some tumors removed, and my veterinarian told me she would not survive another procedure under anesthesia. A Wellness Plan for Mia would not make sense financially because she will never again be able to have a dental cleaning.

Dental cleanings are now performed by a veterinarian and under anesthesia. In 2012, under California Assembly Bill 2304, the California Veterinary Medical Board decided anesthesia free dental cleanings are more dangerous than cleanings under anesthesia. It is now illegal for anesthesia free cleanings to be offered. http://www.10news.com/news/10news-examines-anesthesia-free-pet-dental-care

Then there is the second option of purchasing Insurance for injury and disease, and that does not include preventative care. Given Mia’s age, she does not qualify for Insurance because she is a senior.

Over all these new plans are very cookie cutter-ish, and do not take an individual animal’s health into account.

As a person who does not care to hand over my hard earned money to an insurance carrier, I would definitely recommend discussing with your veterinarian about what would be the best option for your pets. In the case of Mia, we’ll be paying cash for her medical care.

If your employer offered pet insurance, would you sign up? We would love to hear your thoughts.

Are you and your pets prepared to handle an emergency?

August 16, 2016August 16, 2016petwatch916Leave a Comment

With all of the devastation happening from the fires in California to the flooding in Louisiana, it is a sad reminder that an emergency plan is a necessity.

Even for myself, I had a gas leak inside of my home and had to immediately remove my pets from inside of our home while we waited for the utility company to respond.

If you are not ready, here is a checklist to help you get started:

http://thedailyworld.com/news/local/disaster-emergency-plans-include-your-pets

Frozen Treats for Chickens

June 23, 2015June 19, 2015petwatch916Leave a Comment

This one is for our clients with chickens!

To help your feathered friends beat the heat, we found a couple of easy treats you can make in no time.

Click here for frozen ice cube fruit & mint treats from www.fresheggsdaily.com

Another easy idea we found on www.backyardchickens.com was to freeze corn in a muffin pan.

These are creative ideas that have probably inspired many people to create their own unique recipes. Do you have any special treats that your pets love? We would love to hear them!

Keep Your Dog Safe in a Heat Wave

June 18, 2015June 17, 2015petwatch916Leave a Comment

Now that outdoor temperatures are rising, it is important to remember to keep your pets safe from the heat. Click on the link below for some good information from Petfinder.com:

Keep Your Dog Safe in a Heat Wave

Have you seen a dog left alone in a car on a hot day? Click on the link below to find out how you can help a rescue a dog from a hot car:

4 Easy Steps to Help Dogs in Cars

RSVP for the Estate Planning Seminar

March 21, 2015petwatch916Leave a Comment

As an animal shelter volunteer I have witnessed people surrendering their late family member’s pets to the shelter because they cannot take care of the pets. There is nothing more heartbreaking and scary for a pet than to lose a member of their family, and then end up in a kennel at the shelter.

Do you have a plan in place for your pets in the event something happens to you? If not, sign up for the Estate Planning Seminar being offered by the Sacramento SPCA at the following link:

https://secure3.convio.net/sspca/site/SSurvey;jsessionid=51878DDB78244A0CB43D45230A84A1FE.app350a?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=1501

Fur Code Pet Tag

January 2, 2012January 2, 2012petwatch916Leave a Comment

I am really excited to have found this new product! In this day and age with many people carrying around smartphones and being able to scan QR codes, having a Fur Code tag is a great idea!

This tool would take out a few steps in helping a lost pet find it’s way home. Traditional tags only offer pet owners a few lines to engrave their pet’s contact information, and Fur Code allows pet owners to provide a lot more information, to include license, rabies, vaccination, veterinarian and medical history, to name a few.

Some of the reviews on the Fur Code tag make comment about not needing to microchip their pet since they purchased the Fur Code tag, but I still advocate for getting a microchip. Tags fall off collars, and also become victims of normal wear and tear, so a microchip is a good back up to have just in case. Plus many cities are now requiring pet owners to microchip their pets when registering for a license.

The Fur Code is supposed to be able to keep all of your pet’s information in an online database that can be accessed online and through the QR code.

The only downfall to the Fur Code tag is the wrong person obtaining too much of your personal information. I would be cautious as to what information your providing in order to protect yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft.

Aside from that the thing I like best is that if I were to find a lost dog, I could use my smartphone. which I always carry with me, to help a pet find it’s way home.

I don’t get paid for advertising, but Fur Code is currently offering a 25% off New Year sale with free shipping.

The Benefits of Walking Your Dog

January 1, 2012January 1, 2012petwatch916Leave a Comment

Happy New Year everyone! At this time of year many people make a resolution to lose weight. One good way to do this is to start walking. If you have a dog and you do not walk them regularly, they can even benefit from it too. It’s like getting a “2-for-1” discount, and you and your dog will both benefit from the same activity.

I came across this Walking Your Dog article from the Albuquerque City Animal Shelter, and I could not have said it any better. The information is basic common sense, but is a good back to basics reminder.

If you’re not really wanting to walk with your dog because of behavior problems, here is a good back to basics video on How to Walk Your Dog from Cheri Lucas. To expand further on the video, I liked this Problems Walking Your Dog? article by Cesar Millan, which is a simple checklist for you to refresh your memory on dog walking skills.

If you don’t always have time to walk your dog, we offer dog walking services and feel free to contact us for more information at (916) 747-6732.

Kick Off 2012 with Project 365

December 31, 2011December 31, 2011petwatch916Leave a Comment

After reading the Kick Off 2012 with Project 365 blog, it it made me wonder if I could really accomplish this. If it was called Project 52 (once a week) that would be much easier! I am always up for a challenge though, so why not give it a go? The worst that could happen is I miss a day, slip and fall off the wagon. When that happens, I usually laugh, pick myself up, dust myself off and move forward.

The answer to what I would blog about is a no brainer… PETS! I read pet articles daily, have my pets at home, my clients pets I visit with, and the pets I visit with at the animal shelter every week. Pets are all around me, so this would make it easy to accomplish.

Have you made any resolutions for 2012? Pet related or not, I would love to hear what they are!

Have a safe and fun New Year’s Eve celebration!!!